Post on 16-Oct-2020
Environmental Education Volume 108 1
Environmental Education Volume 108 2
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Volume 108
Environmental Education Volume 108 3
Contents Comment
4 From the Chair Nina Hatch
4 From the Editor Henricus Peters
5 COVER The President’s Column: Climate change by numbers Professor William Scott
6 Profile: NAEE and me Philippa Riste
Features
7 COVER Kenrick school report Sue Fenoughty
9 COVER Species identification: Wildlife Trackers Joel Chudleigh
11 Environmental education and teacher education Dr Susan Pike
13 COVER Comparative studies: Thames and Bagmati rivers Arjun Kumar Limbu
16 COVER Zoo education and conservation Allison Price
18 COVER New resource: Water Explorer Sonja Graham
Reviews
19 Book Reviews Norman Farmer, Philippa Riste, William Scott
21 Children’s books about… life cycles Juliette Green
22 Webwatch Henricus Peters
On the Cover: Clean-up work in the Bagmati River, Nepal. Photo by Arjun Kumar Limbu. All photos within articles by the author, unless otherwise stated.
Environmental Education is the termly journal of the National Association for Environmental Education (UK)
issued free to members three times per year.
Editor/design Henricus Peters Deputy editor/design Juliette Green
Views expressed in the articles of this journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those
of NAEE. ISSN 0 309 8451 © NAEE 2015
National Association for Environmental Education (UK) Registered Charity No: 313049
President Professor William Scott Vice Presidents Viscountess Cobham, Anne Kenrick MBE, Professor
Tim O’Riordan, Professor Joy Palmer, Professor Mike Waters Life Member Professor David Bellamy
Chair Nina Hatch Treasurer William Scott OFFICE National Coordinator Heatha Gregory
University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus, Gorway Road, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 3BD. Telephone: 0747 928 7183; e-mail: info@naee.org.uk
Comment
Environmental Education Volume 108 4
From the Chair Nina Hatch Since my election as Chair of the Executive Committee in October 2014 my primary aim has
been to set the NAEE ball rolling towards a realistic and relevant future. We have certainly
started, although there is a long way to go as an organisation that meets the perceived
needs of its members and target audience within a changing educational world. Nowadays,
this means working on how and what we can provide to support educators in both formal
and informal educational situations. Social media and online methods of communication are now the norm
rather than in the earlier days of NAEE when we produced copious booklets and guides.
Our online presence was discovered by Charline Mosseray, a final year university student from Namur,
Belgium, studying sustainable development. Charline was looking for a 15 week internship to complete her
degree and improve her English. With an interest in how environmental education and sustainability are
met in the UK she contacted us and we have welcomed her to Birmingham. She is currently working with
us in conjunction with TIDE ~ global learning, another Birmingham based organisation who support
teachers in development and international education. We have discovered, partly thanks to Charline’s
presence, that there are common interests and concerns between the 2 organisations. Look out for
Charline’s article in EE109 – our paper journal due out in the summer!
From the Editor Henricus Peters Comparisons is the theme of this edition of Environmental Education. NAEE’s Kenrick
Project goes from strength to strength, enabling school children from Birmingham to
reconnect with nature in a very positive way. The school reported in this edition took on
some particularly interesting challenges! Read more on pages 7 and 8.
Zoos are a topic that can easily spark debate: whilst some would ideally of course want to see wildlife ‘in
the wild’, being a former zookeeper in New Zealand (for a year) and as an educator, I can see merit to
having positive experiences regarding good zoos providing opportunities for learning about and raising the
profile of species and conservation (pages 16 and 17). Many modern zoos have projects and resources to
support and even rehabilitate endangered species and have excellent educational outreach programmes.
Please let us know what you think.
Comparing places and their values, from the former ecological deathtrap that was the River Thames, to an
ecosystem that is today beginning to hold its own (the Bagmati River in Nepal), is the backdrop to our
rivers study on pages 13 to 15. This study also very clearly raises some critical questions about the need for
and function of environmental education in parts of the world where the concept still being developed. It
also brings up questions about how we in the United Kingdom view our environmental education in the
context of the ‘new curriculum’.
In this vein, we report on a teacher training project (pages 11 and 12). We are also thrilled to begin a new,
regular and thought-provoking column by our NAEE President, Professor William Scott (page 5)! As ever,
we look forward to hearing from readers on these and any environmental education topics via twitter,
facebook, LinkedIn or by emailing editor@naee.org.uk.
The President’s Column
Environmental Education Volume 108 5
Climate Change by Numbers Professor William Scott NAEE President
Did you watch BBC FOUR's Climate Change by
Numbers back in March?
Unusually for a science programme, it was
presented by three mathematicians. Unsurprisingly,
it was all about numbers, rather than 'science'.
Appropriately, there were lots of graphs, with
spectacular graphics to display data and trends.
It was about three numbers in particular:
0.85 – the increase in temperature of the
atmosphere since around 1880 – in degrees C
95 – the % certainty of the IPPC that over half
this warming is due to human activity
1,000,000,000,000 – the number of tonnes of
carbon we can burn (or so says the IPCC) and still
be 66% sure that warming will remain below 2oC.
I thought that the programme was particularly good
at exploring how statistical processes developed in
one field (e.g. motor racing, the cotton industry,
gold mining) were being used to crunch numbers
relating to climate change. 'Crunch' is a nice term
here, and it could be that those of a sceptical turn
of mind might have preferred 'manipulated' as
numbers disappeared and new ones appeared
through a range of techniques, for example: Kalman
filtering, kriging, attribution studies, and the use
of extreme value theory. Not that I followed all of
this, of course. Some of it was hard-going.
Given that we've already burnt 500,000,000,000
tonnes of carbon – that is, about half of what the
IPCC says we can, and the warming is already at
0.85 degrees, this does not bode well for our being
able to stop entrenched habits in time.
I was disappointed about one thing. The 0.85
degrees figure has an uncertainty value attached to
it, but no one mentioned this. According to the IPCC
this is 0.2 degrees:
"The globally averaged
combined land and ocean
surface temperature data
as calculated by a linear trend, show a warming of
0.85 [0.65 to 1.06] °C, over the period 1880 to 2012,
when multiple independently produced datasets
exist."
That's ± 25%, which means we could be even
deeper in trouble than we currently think we are, or
have a little more breathing space to address the
issues. No wonder this is a challenge to teach.
It is made worse because current policy in England
eschews an integrated approach to such issues. A
senior DfE representative wrote this recently in a
letter to me:
"Schools may incorporate sustainable development
in their teaching within the broad framework of the
citizenship curriculum. Additionally, the new
programmes of study for geography and science
cover this issue from key stage 3 and focus on the
key concepts in science and geography, rather than
political, economic or social debates on this topic.
In order for children to develop a firm understanding
of climate change, it is essential that it is taught as
a carefully sequenced progression, starting with the
fundamental concepts and relevant background
knowledge which underpin this topic."
The text in bold (it is my emphasis) is scarcely
credible. How can it be sensible to teach the key
concepts of climate change without explaining that
it raises social, political, and economic issues for all
humanity? How is this responsible when it will
affect the lives of those being taught? How is it
possible to see all this in neat boxes – facts over
there – debate over here? So depressing. How
fortunate, therefore, that teachers know better
than the DfE when it comes to planning ethically
and pedagogically sound lessons.
Profile
Environmental Education Volume 108 6
NAEE and me… Philippa Riste
Stay-at-home mother and home educator; recently became a
member of NAEE Executive
Why have I joined NAEE?
As a child I loved my summers; spent scouring
beaches in Norfolk for belemnites and swimming
in the sea, searching in second hand bookshops
for Enid Blyton novels full of outdoor adventuring
and wild independence – my favourites were ‘The
Secret Island’ and ‘The Children of Cherry Tree
Farm’. As a teenager I would get home from
school and go on a five mile walk through fields
and past streams to clear my head of the stresses
of exams and A-levels, and at 18 completed a two
week wild camping hike of the South West Coast
Path with my dad, a dedicated light-weight
wanderer. It is only now, looking back, that I
realise that I was probably fairly unusual among
my peers!
‘ nvironmental education’ mean to me?
How much more unusual, though, it is now, only
twenty years on, to find children instinctively
heading for the outdoors? I think it is, since
becoming a parent myself – my three children are
now aged 6, 4, and 3 – that my resolve to see
children, both my own and others, connecting
with nature has been strengthened. I quickly
noticed that an afternoon in a stuffy playbarn full
of unnatural textures and colours left my children
hyped up, tearful, and exhausted; an afternoon in
the woods, however, looking for bugs or playing
bears left them – and us! – peaceful and weary-
limbed but also energised and refreshed. As my
eldest gets older, I’m increasingly aware of the
proliferation of ‘electronic tranquilizers’ – a
phrase coined by Fiona Danks in ‘Nature’s
Playground’. These
occupy children her
age and above, and
distract from the
endless opportunities
for real imaginary
play and discovery outdoors. I am not an advocate
of a completely screen free childhood – I think
that there is immense value in learning about
technology and its benefits for work and
relaxation – but I do try and get our children
outdoors daily, to play and to rest, whether it be
in our own garden or Sutton Park, near which we
are fortunate enough to live; to our allotment to
pick berries in the summer months; or for a quick
run or tree-climb in the woods during term time.
Midway through 2014, a meeting was held locally
to create a ‘Friends of...’ group for the woods next
to our school, and I went, both concerned for the
future of the woodland and interested to know
about any scope for outdoor environmental
education for local school children. At this
meeting, I met NAEE Coordinator Heatha Gregory,
whose description of her ideas and work captured
my attention! Since becoming a member of NAEE
– and being voted into the Executive Committee –
I very much enjoy reading the Environmental
Education journals which cover such a wide
breadth of interesting material. I feel inspired to
more actively develop environmental education at
home with my own children, whilst maintaining
and growing, through membership of the NAEE,
both a national and global perspective on the
importance of getting our children outside!
NAEE Project
7 Environmental Education Volume 108
Kenrick School Report
Sue Fenoughty Kenrick Working Group and NAEE Vice Chair
In the last academic year 2013-2014, a total of thirteen Birmingham schools were
awarded Kenrick Day bursaries to enable them to take students for a day’s
environmental activities at one of the Outdoor Learning Centres in the city or
nearby. But, and it’s a big ‘but’: at the end of the summer term, the Birmingham
City Council closed its historic Outdoor Learning Service (OLS) for economic
reasons. The following report is about one of the last school visits undertaken
under the auspices of the OLS.
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls visit to
Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park.
Kirstin Bunting Science teacher
I applied to the NAEE for a grant to take the top
Year 7 scientists to Birmingham Wildlife
Conservation Park in order to undertake some
biology field work. I run a thriving Eco-schools
group and the girls are especially keen to go
outdoors and improve their studies of our
environment. I was, therefore, delighted to hear
that the school had been awarded £400 from the
Kenrick Fund which enabled me to take twenty
students to Birmingham Wildlife Conservation
Park.
Science curriculum studies
As the girls had just studied the classification
topic, they were very keen to see the reptiles,
birds and mammals at the centre. Prior to the
visit, I met Julie White, the Centre’s teacher, and
we discussed plans for the day and any risks
associated with our activities. It was decided to
study two habitats: woodland and river. The girls
would use sampling techniques to collect and
identify minibeasts using a key. In the afternoon,
they would carry out an activity about animal
behaviour where they had to design a bamboo
structure in which the lemurs would be challenged
to find their food.
The following are extracts from the students’
reports of the visit:
River and wetland group
‘Our group went down to the river Rea, equipped
with wellies, nets, keys, clipboards and trays. We
were shown many methods to find invertebrates,
from kick sampling to just simply turning a rock
over. Some people were not so keen on getting
their hands muddy though! Whilst searching, we
found many mayfly nymphs; this indicated that
the river, despite flowing through Birmingham,
had little or no pollution!’
Woodland group
‘After this, we went to search the woodlands. In
this habitat, we found so many different
invertebrates such as woodlice, spiders,
harvestmen and even caterpillars. Invertebrates in
this habitat were more difficult to find than those
in the water, as they were spread around even
more. A technique that our group found useful
was shaking a tree branch into a tray. By doing
this we found caterpillars and cocoons and by
daring to lift up a damp log, we found woodlice
and worms. Keys and magnifying cups were really
helpful when we were not too sure what an
invertebrate was. If we wanted a really close look,
we could brush the creature into the magnifying
cup and see all of its features.’
NAEE Project
8 Environmental Education Volume 108
Nocturnal house
‘After looking at the woodland and freshwater
habitats we went into the nocturnal house where
we saw many animals such as sloths and
armadillos. It was very dark and we had to be
quiet so as not to disturb the animals. Whilst
walking around, we saw a red panda curled up in a
tree, and we spotted meerkats playing around,
but there was always one meerkat watching for
danger.’
Animal behaviour
After lunch, the students were given the task to
design a structure in which to hide the lemurs’
food: ‘…we set about making enrichment
structures for the lemurs. These were made from
bamboo sticks, and tied together with the new
knots that we had been taught. They were strong
and safe, with no loops or loose pieces of string to
cause injury. Then we wove bamboo skewers with
apples, pears and cucumbers into our structures.
They were then ready to be given to the lemurs.’
‘In the wild, lemurs would have to think about
where to find their food. In captivity, enrichment
toys are made, like our structures, so they have to
search for food, and stop them from getting bored
and unhappy. It was interesting how the lemurs
found a solution to getting their lunch: some
removed the loose skewer whereas others literally
tore our structures to pieces! It was an extremely
fun and interesting activity, and we definitely
learned a lot about animals kept in captivity.’
The benefits of experiential learning
I am a big advocate of taking groups to have
hands-on experience and enriching the
curriculum. Having taught Science for 27 years, I
have had extensive experience of taking children
on valuable educational visits. My advice to
younger staff is: it is so worthwhile but you must
be well organised and plan it like a military
operation! Make sure you have thought of every
eventuality and the children are briefed on
expected behaviour, given a detailed programme
of events and details of what they need to bring –
pens, waterproofs, sun cream and any medicine
etc. It is vital that the correct paperwork is
completed, mobile phone numbers are collated
and emergency procedures are clear. Teachers
must be aware of any medical conditions and have
duplicate inhalers, epi-pens etc.
It may seem a lot of extra work to organise an
educational visit, however it is so rewarding for
the students. It is also pleasing to see the children
in a different setting.
After our visit to Birmingham Wildlife
Conservation Centre, so many girls expressed just
how much they had enjoyed the day, particularly
the river sampling and the challenge activity.
Many thanks once again for the NAEE Kenrick
bursary. We are all very grateful. I will certainly
use the centre again in the future.
Notes: Birmingham Wildlife and Conservation Park
(formerly known as Birmingham Nature Centre)
remains open to the public, including schools.
More information
The Kenrick bursaries are currently only available
to Birmingham schools, which must be able to
fulfil NAEE’s educational and environmental
conditions. Contact: info@naee.org.uk.
Ring-tailed lemurs at BWCP
Species Identification
9 Environmental Education Volume 108
How many common British creatures can your class name on sight? Joel Chudleigh Founder and Chief Executive, Deep Footprints
Children spend less time outdoors than ever
before and, as the National Trust found out in a
2012 study, they have 90% reduced access to
open and wild spaces than children growing up in
the 1970s. They know less about animals and
plants than earlier generations, because of a lack
of contact with nature and the outdoors – and
often have misunderstandings and fears of
wildlife.
It’s my firm belief that we all have a responsibility
to develop our communities in a way that benefits
the whole of society, and despite what town
planners, large scale developers and governments
might have us believe – that does include children.
As Jay Griffiths mentions in her book ‘Kith’,
children fill the “unoccupied territories”, the
spaces not controlled by tidy-minded adults, “the
commons of mud, moss, roots and grass”. But
such places are being purged from the land and
their lives. “Today’s children are enclosed in
school and home, enclosed in cars to shuttle
between them, enclosed by fear, by surveillance
and poverty and enclosed in rigid schedules of
time.” Streets and wild places empty of children, is
a saddening reality that Fly on the Wall founder,
Richard Linford, decided he wanted to do
something about.
To this end, the team at Fly on the Wall, a UK
retailer of wildlife observation equipment and
cameras, has built and launched a free game
called Wildlife Trackers. This encourages children
to go outside to play and learn about common
British Wildlife, whilst at the same time being
staged online in a social format.
The game has three main aims:
As we believe that children have, to a large
extent, lost the connection with nature they
used to have, we want this game to improve
general knowledge of common creatures and
open spaces in the UK – through reconnecting
kids with these places!
We want to actually use technology to reduce
the amount of screen time children have, by
encouraging them outdoors.
Alongside the above, we hope to provide
parents, schools and other organisations an
easy-to-access, free tool that makes it fun for
them to support children in connecting with
nature.
This is what one of the player’s mothers, Rebecca,
from Surrey, said about the game:
“We really have enjoyed getting out and about,
and have lots of ideas ready to hand now! We’ve
had such a lot of fun doing the activities and
spotting species, thank you for such a great idea.”
Range of activities
Within Wildlife Trackers, children can earn points
for taking part in various different activities. Some
are just simple things such as skimming stones,
climbing a tree and building a den. There are also
more involved ones that take a bit of planning –
you get more points for those ones. As well as
earning points for taking part in these activities,
children can earn more points for spotting
common UK wildlife. In total, Fly on the Wall
selected 90 creatures – most that are relatively
easy to spot but again some are tougher and may
require travel; points are higher for the latter.
Species Identification
Environmental Education Volume 108 10
Creatures are categorised the creatures into three
main habitats: citylife, countrylife and waterlife –
of course, many creatures cross over between
these categories.
Fly on the Wall wanted to make Wildlife Trackers
as accessible as possible because the key aim is to
improve the basic knowledge regarding British
wildlife, for as many children as possible. Wildlife
Trackers has a winner’s league table, for both
individuals and schools, which allows children to
compete with their friends and also allows schools
to compete with other schools. The game is
proving popular amongst teachers, as much of it
supports the KS2 science curriculum – although
we did not actually plan for that!
More information
Children can register for Wildlife Trackers free
website at www.flyonthewall.uk.com/
wildlifetrackers/register. (Note: they may need to
use your email address if they do not have one for
themselves, as the game has various email alerts
based on rewarding the children for their chosen
activities.) See page 26 for more information.
The homepage of the Wildlife Trackers website
Teacher Education
11 Environmental Education Volume 108
Geographic, Environmental and Outdoor Adventures in Teacher Education! Dr Susan Pike Lecturer in Geography Education at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra
New teachers’ experiences of and attitudes to
Environmental Education (EE) depend on many
factors. At St Patrick’s College in Dublin, we find
student teachers come to us with a wide variety of
experiences of EE. Some students have attended
schools with strong EE, in transition towns and
had plenty of freedom to play, explore and
connect with their locality, whilst others have
none of these experiences. For this reason
geography education courses at the college focus
on the merging of geography, EE and outdoor into
GEO education to ensure students have positive
and lasting experiences.
Place-based geographical and environmental
education
EE in the college focuses on students doing,
thinking and feeling EE in the college and local
environment:
Doing: Student teachers learn intentionally
and unintentionally, when learning as
teachers and children through place-based
EE.
Thinking: For students, being in places
enables their thinking in EE to be broadened
and deepened.
Feeling: Students can develop their ideas
about, opinions of and interest in EE.
EE and Teacher Education
Traditionally in Ireland, many teacher education
courses provided few opportunities for this type
of activity, as students were taught mainly in
lecture style settings. In the past 15 years this
practice has changed, as students spend increased
amounts of time in seminar-based work, including
environmental themes. Students also spend time
outdoors doing EE and other activities with an
environmental angle. At St Patrick’s College,
students in geography, art, science, history and
digital learning education course all spend time in
the locality. This combination of EE and outdoor
education is significant as it is this type of activity
that student teachers remember long after they
graduate. We hope such opportunities for
prolonged engagement with the environment by
student teachers ensure the continued dedication
to EE in schools.
In the first year, place-based outdoor time,
incorporating EE, amounts to over 60% of the 12-
hour course for geography education. They carry
out guided and independent enquiry type activity
in the college grounds and in Drumcondra, the
suburb in which the college is located.
The result of this first year is that students:
Gain new geographical and environmental
knowledge about the area in which they are
a student and will live for 4 years.
Use and develop geographic, environmental
and generic skills that they may not have
experienced before.
Reflect on how they can incorporate such
activity into classroom experiences for
children they will teach.
Have some fun and adventures with new
friends!
These activities contribute towards students’
cognitive and affective ways of learning – as a
child and as a teacher. In the second year and
Teacher Education
Environmental Education Volume 108 12
third year they apply this learning to their home
area, sourcing opportunities to develop their
locality as a location for GEO Education. Some
students take options in Geography and/or GEO
Education and have the opportunities for
residential fieldwork to places such as the
Wicklow Mountains, Belfast City and Cloughjordan
EcoVillage, Co. Tipperary.
Students are very positive about their
experiences, even when the Irish rain catches
them out! Their comments on the courses reflect
this:
“I found the classes very engaging, interactive and
interesting. The class provided me with an
opportunity to learn how to explore different
environmental settings, reflect on where I live and
my surroundings, something I would not have
done in class before.” Hugh
“I thought the resource packs were great, such as
the EcoDetectives enquiry 'Where would a
butterfly like to live?'. We did some work inside
but then we got to go out around the grounds of
the college from which we learned and will
remember.” Anna Marie
“I really enjoyed the outdoor activities we did
throughout the geography course. The outdoor
area around a school is an exciting, often new
environment for particularly young children to be
in, in an educational context, and is the perfect
opportunity to encourage discovery, enquiry,
creativity and group work/discussion with a
primary class in a fun and interesting way.” Lauren
“I loved how geography was taught in the College
because when I was in primary school, I didn't see
geography as a practical subject. I think using the
idea of geography as an exploration is such a good
way to teach the subject to primary students.
Getting out of the classroom will excite the
children and get them to be more independent
and use their own opinions, that's what I found
myself doing anyway! I made my friends in college
because of the approach to the geography class.”
Rebekah
“I thought the 'Discovering Drumcondra’ part of
the module was really well done. Giving children
that sense of responsibility and freedom is really
important in my opinion, and it's another way to
encourage them to come to school and participate
in class!” Stephanie
The students’ passion for teaching shines through
in their quotes, astounding but not surprising as
they have only just left school themselves! The
students’ language is also strong – they ‘loved’
their classes, they thought GEO was a ‘perfect
opportunity’ for children to learn. Such opinions
reveal the integration of GEO into ITE really has a
powerful impact on new teachers, one that I hope
will last well into their teaching careers. EE is a
marginalized subject, however the nature of
active, engaging EE means that it can be a subject
that is meaningful for students whether they are
children or adults.
Note: St Patrick’s College will be hosting Ireland’s
First ‘Learning through the Outdoors’ conference
in May 2015.
More information
Green Schools Ireland
www.greenschoolsireland.org/
Visit the ‘Ask About Ireland’ website for the
EcoDetectives Resource Pack
http://tinyurl.com/qdyf87e
World: Comparative Studies
Environmental Education Volume 108 13
Between the Two Rivers...Thames and Bagmati Arjun Kumar Limbu MSc Environmental Science
The health of the riverine ecosystem is one of the
most important environmental factors for the
stability of life on Earth. Humans brought
imbalance to nature and this is now resulting in
negative impacts on them. Billions of dollars are
now spent globally to restore and regulate its
natural water system: in clean-up, construction,
education and technological improvements. Can
EE actually bring about a resolute water
management strategy?
In the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu, we find a
roughly circular bowl-shaped valley, an
intramontane basin, situated in the Lesser
Himalayan zone, which is believed to be a
paleolake. Due to its unique drainage system, it is
also recognized as the best example of a
centripetal water system in the world. The
Bagmati River originates in the Northern hills of
this fluvio-lacustrine environment geologically.
This river is rich culturally, historically and in
mythological terms. It is also religiously significant
and highly valued emotionally by the people living
in South Asia. In past times, the grandparents and
parents of this young generation used to drink this
sacred water without using any filters throughout
the year.
Today, in the Kathmandu valley, where
approximately three million people reside, the
population has grown significantly due to socio-
administrative factors bringing millions of people
from all the rural parts of Nepal. Perhaps
government or academicians did not foresee the
resulting direct and quick impact on the Bagmati
river. Most of the people have been living in the
valley where solid waste and sewage waste is
dumped directly into the stream or river system.
Consequentially the Bagmati River currently faces
many serious environmental and ecological
challenges. During the Asian monsoon season
(July to September) of the year, the river actually
gets flooded, in other times, a very noxious stench
is very apparent in proximity to the river. Solid
waste disposed there when water is relatively low
produces a greyish-black colour. Urban people
residing in the valley are also tapping the
underground water system, which contributes to
the low water flow.
There is a rapidly growing trend of urbanization in
the Bagmati river system. It is also to be noted
that the association between population density
and river water quality is negative. Therefore,
there is a high chance that continued dumping of
solid waste and sewage discharge from homes
and business will bring about acute problems for
the freshwater aquatic ecosystem. Individual
households and municipal authorities are equally
responsible for the river pollution.
Nevertheless, the Bagmati River is currently being
used for different purposes:
i) Major source for municipal, industrial and
irrigation water for the Kathmandu valley:
ii) Cultural and Religious Practices
iii) Direct disposal of untreated sewage,
effluents and solid waste along the banks
iv) Extraction of sand
v) Preferred zones for squatters and other
encroachments
To better understand this increasingly critical
situation, the environmental status has been
raised by increasing awareness, conducting
research and undertaking clean-up programmes
regularly. However, there have not been
satisfactory outcomes yet. In recent years, amid a
World: Comparative Studies
Environmental Education Volume 108 14
seemingly multitude initiatives, the Bagmati
Action Plan (2009-2014) envisaged a strong
commitment to conserve the Bagmati river
system, where the Nepal Government has given
high priority for its conservation and restoration
to its natural state. It is taken as a holistic and
integrated plan to restore, enhance and manage
the Bagmati River and its tributaries, with
different agencies involved in the promotion of
various components. There are different
governmental, non-governmental, civil society
organizations and other stakeholders working on
different scales. Going forward, with this action
plan, all the stakeholders and partners require
permission for any activity to be carried out in and
around the Bagmati River. Aiming at maintaining
consistency and avoiding duplication of work
efforts to bring all stakeholders under one
umbrella. Will this initiative restore the natural
ecosystem of Bagmati River?
The question is: what is the missing link of all such
failures? The Water Resources Act (1993) defines
Water resources as the water that is available in
Nepal in the form of surface water, ground water
or in whatsoever form. It prohibits all acts that
may pollute water resources and maintains that
the utilization of resources should be made
without causing any considerable damage to the
environment through soil erosion, floods,
landslides or other natural disasters. It also
prioritises water resources according to its utility
such as drinking water for domestic use, irrigation,
animal husbandry, hydroelectricity, etc. Setting of
water quality standards and provision of licences
to use water resources are governed by this act.
Today, the case reminds us of the clean-up of the
River Thames in London: fifty years after being
declared biologically dead, the Thames has been
hailed as an environmental success story.
Considering the current situation of the Bagmati
River of Nepal, it can be compared with its UK
cousin: in the pollution and recovery potential of a
riverine ecosystem. What can Nepali people learn
from the Thames River story? Kathmandu citizens
from diverse sectors attend the Bagmati River
clean-up campaign by actually handpicking dirt
from plastic bags, papers, plastic noodle packets,
dead animals, broken glass, metal etc.
It is a good awareness initiative and encouraging
to see the mass people’s movement for the
restoration of the Bagmati River ecosystem.
However, the reality is that there are chances of a
cut and the resulting exposure to bacteria and
other toxic substances. Campaigners are strongly
advised to use mechanical devices to pick up such
toxic substances and should campaign for strict
legislative measures for river polluters.
Water Quality Parameters. Source: MWSP(2000) – Melamchi Water Supply Project
Parameters Sundarijal Khokana
Total Suspended Solid mg/l 5 70
Chloride mg/l 1 24
Ammonia mg/l 0.03 11
Biological Oxygen Demand mg/l 1.3 65
Coliform counts per 100ml 1000 1,000,000
Dissolved Oxygen mg/l 8.9 1.7
World: Comparative Studies
Environmental Education Volume 108 15
BAG ATI RIVER C EAN P CA PAIGN
-
As a part of the campaign, a 21km river
stretch, from Sundarijal to Sankhamul,
will be manually cleaned with the help
from police personnel, volunteers, gov-
ernment officials and the public in com-
ing days, according to Sumitra Amatya,
executive director of the Solid Waste
Management and Technical Support Cen-
tre (SWMTSC), a government body that
manages solid waste in Kathmandu. On
Thursday, the SWMTSC, in coordination
with concerned authorities, organised a
media awareness program about the
campaign.
-
www.ekan pur.com the-kathmandu-
post 01 01 1 na on bagma -clean-up-
campaign-begins .html
Particularly, the
developing
nations such as
Nepal, which is
struggling to
manage
environmental
problems like
water pollution,
are newer to
such efforts
than developed
nations. It is still
yet to see how
the academic EE
course
curriculum,
policy makers
and community
stakeholders
will respond in
the days ahead.
So far,
environmental
education has
come only to
impact school
children, rather
than to raising
the
consciousness
of the broader
community. In Nepal today, environmental
education is taught in the lower secondary school
under the heading Environment, Population and
Health (EPH) as a major subject. The school
children are the future of this Kathmandu valley.
How difficult is it, at the very least, not to throw
solid waste in the river? Do we really need
environmental education against river pollution?
A rhetorical question…?
More information Contact
arjunlimbu@outlook.com
As we go to press, the devastating earthquake in
Nepal has left a rising death toll, yet a positive
response by the Asian and world community. It has
highlighted the vital need for renewed awareness
of our environment, especially regarding urban
design and natural disasters. Our thoughts go out
to the people of the country, region and the rescue
workers.
Zoos in Education
16 Environmental Education Volume 108
How can we mobilize a national network for improved conservation education?
Allison Price with contributions from Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Conservation
Education Committee
Imagine you have a network of educators
distributed at more than 225 zoos and aquariums
throughout North America. It’s a pretty diligent
group that serves more than 400 thousand
teachers and reaches 15 million kids through field
trips alone. Although everyone is generally doing
the same thing – educating the public about
animals and conservation – how do you know who
is doing it well? More importantly, how do you
determine what “doing it well” means? And even
more complicated, how can you mobilize that
network so that it becomes a true community of
resource sharing and collective growth?
These are the questions we address on the AZA
Conservation Education Committee, or CEC. The
mission of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
– www.aza.org – is to provide its members with
the services, high standards and best practices
needed to be leaders and innovators in animal
care, wildlife conservation and science,
conservation education, the guest experience, and
community engagement. AZA envisions a world
where, as a result of the work of accredited zoos
and aquariums, all people respect, value and
conserve wildlife and wild places.
To help AZA achieve that vision, the CEC was
established in 1997 (although an education
committee has existed in various capacities since
the American Association of Zoological Parks and
Aquariums formed in 1924; the AAZPA later
became AZA). The CEC is charged with assisting
the staff and membership of the AZA in educating
and engaging public, professional and government
audiences. The committee is made up of informal
science education professionals from accredited
zoos and aquariums throughout North America
who serve multi-year terms by appointment of the
AZA Board chair. Our mission is threefold:
1. Strengthen and promote conservation
education programs for the public
2. Provide leadership and professional
development opportunities for AZA
educators
3. Disseminate pertinent information to the
education liaisons at AZA institutions
throughout North America through its
Regional Communication Plan, quarterly
newsletter and yearly calendar
It’s easy to assume that in a volunteer committee
of more than 20 professionals spread across a
continent – who hold leadership positions at
various institutions – there would be a lot of talk
and no action. Then again, anyone who knows
environmental educators know we’re not the type
to rest on our laurels! In 2015, the CEC is actively
working on two strategic themes with 9 individual
initiatives that support them.
Learning about rhino conservation
Zoos in Education
Environmental Education Volume 108 17
Our first theme is to contribute to the creation of
impactful and effective conservation education
programs. One initiative under this category
involves promoting visitor research to increase
our understanding of zoo and aquarium audiences
and facilitate creation of education programs that
shift public behaviours for conservation outcomes.
Within this initiative, the CEC is working on a
national visitor studies effort based on AZA’s
“Framework for Zoo and Aquarium Social Science
Research.” Our goal is to have all the accredited
zoos in North America aligned on one visitor
studies framework so that we can better assess
the collective impact our institutions are making
on public conservation attitudes and behaviours.
We just finished pilot testing a tool that allows
member institutions to easily share the relevant
parts of theses, dissertations, and peer-reviewed
articles generated at their institution. The plan is
to begin gathering information about these
various studies being conducted this spring. The
hope is that we can share our good work and
resources by housing it in a centralized location
that can be accessed by all our members.
Our second theme is to identify and share best
practices in conservation education. Collectively,
AZA member zoos and aquariums attract more
than 181 million visitors each year, and so offering
the most robust science and nature programming
possible is of paramount importance. We pursue
a variety of avenues within this theme, from
advocacy work within legislative channels to
developing and disseminating tools that support
classroom-based learning. A relatively new focus
for us in the area of best practices education is on
connecting families to nature, and by extension,
Nature Play. While many zoos, and aquariums to
a lesser extent, have embraced programs and
exhibits that encourage free play in nature, we
want to provide the community tools and tips on
the whys and hows of this critical educational
approach. In the last few years, with support from
the CEC, professional development opportunities,
grants, and a robust number of resources about
nature play have been made available to zoo and
aquarium educators Association-wide. For more
information, visit http://animalsinc.net/nature-
play/.
ooking to the future, we’re excited about other
action items on our plate, including the
development of a set of best practices to
educationally support in situ conservation
projects, and establishing a network of resources
that will help zoo and aquarium professionals
support classroom-based learning. We welcome
any collaboration from NAEE members, and are
always happy to share what we’ve learned in
these endeavours so far.
More information
CEC Chair, Danielle Ross, Vice President of
Conservation Education, Columbus Zoo and
Aquarium and the Wilds, at
Danielle.ross@columbuszoo.org.
All photographs in this article Todd Rosenberg
Focusing on animals’ body parts
New Resource
18 Environmental Education Volume 108
Water explorer: unlocking the dam on water education
Sonya Graham Global Action Plan
Although the United Nations Water for Life
decade ends this year, the need to educate and
act on water issues must not. The average person
in the UK still uses 150 litres of water per day
carrying out everyday tasks such as cooking and
showering. When you consider embedded ‘Secret
Water’, this figure swells! To develop a more
sustainable relationship with water, we need the
attitudes and behaviours of the next generation to
change, and education is key to this. It is this
ethos that underpins the free Water Explorer
programme which was launched to schools earlier
on this year. Developed by environmental charity,
Global Action Plan (GAP), with the support of
HSBC’s Water Programme, Water Explorer
enthuses 8-14 year olds to think about water in a
multi-faceted way: water conservation, access to
fresh water, embedded water and wider global
water issues such as health and sanitation.
A free programme that combines team work, IT
skills, data collection and problem solving
Via an online platform, the programme offers a
host of lesson-ready resources that involve the
children in various challenges of differing length
and complexity. From measuring the water quality
of a local water source to putting on a play to
highlight water issues around the world, the
challenges are fun and informative. Teachers and
students are given full autonomy to decide on
challenges that best suit their time and curriculum
needs. This flexibility makes the programme work
for a range of settings, for example providing
structure for an eco-club or as additional activities
for the classroom.
“The students have got very involved and each
task is tailored so that it can be accessed by many
different types of students of different abilities via
the online material.” Katy Micklewright, teacher at
Springfield School.
Rewarding ownership, effort and creativity
As students complete their water-based
challenges, points are accumulated and they see
their 'virtual reservoir' come to life as a result.
There are prizes to win along the way, but the real
excitement lies in the opportunity for one school
in each country to represent their country at the
World Expo in Milan in October 2015.
As Martin Crabbe quoted recently in his TES
article: “It’s great seeing the pupils really take
ownership of water issues, whether that’s working
across the school to raise awareness of global
water issues or encouraging other students to
conserve water in school and at home. These are
all great lessons and experiences that they will
need as they begin their journeys to become the
sustainability champions of tomorrow.”
International collaboration and education
As well as being available to schools in 11
countries, the global perspective is seen in the
programme’s challenges which look at the
different experiences of water across the world
and encourage international collaboration.
Make a real impact and contribute to
international research
In addition to being a lot of fun, Water Explorer
aims to conserve over 200,000 cubic metres of
water and introduce important values such as
equality, respect and responsibility to students.
The data collected will contribute to a major
international study on the impact of student-led
environmental programmes on student behaviour
and values.
More information: See the advert on page 25.
Reviews
19 Environmental Education Volume 108
Feral George Monbiot; ISBN: 978-0-141-
97558-0; Penguin, 2014; pp 307; £17.99.
When you visit a
National Park, an Area of
Outstanding Natural
Beauty or an SSSI do you
ever question the
decisions behind the
creation and
management of such an
area? Are there now so
many ‘givens’ in the
world of conservation
that we blindly accept these as a justification for
the many decisions taken on our behalf? Are our
present conservation paradigms merely gardening
on a grand scale? Is this a fight by pseudo
environmentalists to keep the any real wilderness
out of their lives?
George onbiot’s book ‘Feral’ challenges many of
the current assumptions about the purposes and
ethics of the management of much of upland
Britain as well as our coastal waters. Sheep are
labelled a’ white plague’ that subdue our uplands
leaving a green desert bereft of trees and rich
wildlife habitats. Grouse shooting and excessive
deer populations for stalking also contribute in the
highlands to swathes of heather and waste. The
ownership of land by absentee landlords and hill
farm subsidies supported by the EU are blamed
for the lack of enterprise and innovation in
developing an upland species-rich wilderness. A
wilderness for all, supported by a beneficial influx
of affordable ‘safari’ tourism from all sectors of
society.
George Monbiot claims many of our assumptions
about the habitats we are trying to conserve are
based on too short a time span and we should
look further back into the past to envisage a
wilderness that used to be Britain. The re-
introduction of species, now extinct in Britain,
such as beavers and wolves is seen as a positive
contribution to the re-wilding of some of our
uplands. Consequently contributing to flood
control and, through predation, ‘balancing’
populations of both animals and plants.
As a keen kayaker, George bemoans modern
methods of trawling and fishing, backed by EU
subsidies, for the destruction of the sea bed and
fish populations. He makes a strong case for the
introduction of many more marine reserves and a
re-evaluation of how we support what is left our
fishing industry.
This is a book for adults, students, sixth formers,
politicians and environmentalists. It challenges
our present comfortable assertions and paradigms
about conservation. The book opens up a long
overdue debate about the future of those parts of
our countryside which are only marginally
productive and could be richly rewilded.
Norman Farmer NAEE Executive
A Year Around the Great Oak Gerda
Muller; ISBN: 978-086315-946-6; Floris
Books, 2013; pp 28; £10.99.
A beautifully written
and illustrated
picture book telling
the story of two
children, Benjamin
and Anna, who visit
their forester uncle
through the year.
The story tracks the
cycle through the
seasons of a three
hundred year old oak tree and the children’s
Reviews
Environmental Education Volume 108 20
relationship with it through the year, as well as
the part it plays in providing a habitat for wildlife.
In this book children will discover more about the
seasons and many of the wild animals which live
in a woodland habitat, all through the medium of
a gently engaging story which would leave any
child keen to find their own favourite tree. A must
for every child’s library and for any teacher
looking for fictional works to support
environmental education in the early years and
key stage 1.
Philippa Riste NAEE Executive
Young Children and the Environment:
early education for sustainability (Second
edition) Julie M Davis (Editor); ISBN: 978-1-
107636347; Cambridge University Press,
2015; pp 336; £45.00
This is the second
edition of Young
Children and the
Environment, which
was first published in
2010. It is revised and
updated, with 7 new
chapters including a
section exploring
sustainability
education in a variety
of global contexts. Its authors now come from
across the world, although over half of them are
still based in Australia and New Zealand, where
interest and expertise in this topic is long-
established. Three kinds of audience are
identified: those studying early childhood
education, child-care practitioners, and primary
school teachers. The publishers say it is designed
to promote ‘education for sustainability’ for
children up to 8 years old.
The book is written as a practical resource to
illustrate the difference that early childhood
educators can make by working with children,
their families and the wider community to address
the significant contemporary issue of sustainable
living. The book aims to provide readers with
international resources and perspectives to
further early childhood education for
sustainability (ECEfS). The text focuses on new
curriculum initiatives that have placed greater
emphasis on educating for sustainability, and sets
out to equip educators with the knowledge to
teach this. The book contains case studies and
vignettes and a series of what are termed
'provocations' (that is, questions) whose aim is to
help readers gain insights into how ECEfS can
occur successfully in practice.
Following an introduction, the book is divided into
two parts. The first (11 chapters) follows the
structure of the first edition, with the addition of
three new chapters on food, on the arts, and on
the need for a “transformative project approach”
that supports children as active agents of change.
The second part (5 chapters), sets out to provide
an international perspective with new chapters
from (and on) Japan, Sweden, South Korea and
the UK. This book ends with a revision of the
final chapter from the first edition.
There is considerable merit in this book, and the
revisions have made a difference to its
effectiveness. Purists may cavil at the loose way
in which the word (un)sustainability is sometimes
used, but that is now so commonplace that it
seems pointless to complain. For example, in the
scene-setting opening chapter, everything that is
problematic seems to be ‘unsustainable’,
whereas, in reality, social and economic systems
that give rise to poverty, inequity and a lack of
universal wellbeing, actually seem quite resilient
and resistant to change. And, looking back,
inequality and poverty seem the most sustainable
(in its original sense) things of all.
The editor clearly understands the breadth and
interconnectedness of the ideas that constitute
Reviews
Environmental Education Volume 108 21
sustainability, and that it is more than about 'the
environment'. However, she is still able to write:
"Sustainability is essentially an issue of social
justice and fairness." But it's not. It's much more
fundamental than this. Ultimately, it's an
existential question of human survival on the
planet. Before that, it's a question of trying to
ensure that the planet remains able to support a
good quality of life for all of humanity, now and
into the future. Tackling unfairness and inequity
whilst addressing fundamental environmental
issues makes good strategic sense, as there are
many gains to be had; tackling them with no view
that the bottom line in all this is a healthy
biosphere, does not.
For me, helping young people develop a reasoned
sense of hope (which is not the same as optimism)
that there is the possibility of a positive future for
them, and for others, is crucial if they are to be
empowered to get interested and involved. It is
obvious that editor and authors share this view,
and the book has positive stories to tell and useful
practical and theoretical detail. I was particularly
appreciative of the chapters by Sue Elliott, Robert
Pratt, Sue Cooke, and Sharon Stuhmcke, but felt
that there will be something in them all. For
particular readers. And they were all pretty
clearly written.
I think this will be a popular book, especially
amongst those studying on early childhood
education programmes who feel a need to know
more about sustainability. Whether it will be a
practitioner text is more of a moot point as it has
not been designed and structured with that in
mind. Nice to think it might be though.
William Scott NAEE President
’ b b … life cycles Juliette Green NAEE Executive
A Seed in Need: a first look at the plant
life cycle Sam Godwin; ISBN: 978-0-7500-
2497-6; Wayland Books, reprinted in 2012;
pp 31; £6.99 (available from Amazon)
Part of the Little
Bees information
picture book
series, this
beautifully
illustrated and
well-laid out
book perfectly
reinforces the
stages of the life cycle of a flowering plant. The
information about the stages snakes its way
across each page, and additional facts are drawn
out through a conversation between an inquisitive
ladybird and a very knowledgeable snail (“Why do
plants have roots?” “Roots hold the plant firmly in
the soil. They soak up water, too.”) There’s also a
glossary of useful words and a labelled picture of a
sunflower at the end. Ideal for outdoor learning or
reinforcement in the classroom.
I Wonder Why Caterpillars Eat So Much
Belinda Weber; ISBN: 978-0753467077;
Kingfisher, reprinted 2012; pp 32; £4.74
(available from Amazon)
Part of the I Wonder
Why series, which
covers science,
history and
geography topics,
this book explains
many aspects of
animal life cycles by
answering engaging
questions such as:
Reviews
Environmental Education Volume 108 22
“Why do spiders split open?”, “How does a
butterfly get out?”, “Which eggs wobble?” and
“Do crocodiles eat their babies?”. A fun and
informative book for Key Stages 1 and 2 science.
Jasper’s Beanstalk Nick Butterworth and
Mick Inkpen; ISBN: 978-1444918151; Hodder
Children’s Books, reprinted 2014; pp 32;
£5.24 (available from Amazon)
A great
introduction for
younger
children into
plant life cycles
and what
plants need to
grow. Jasper
the cat finds a
bean, lavishes
attention on it
– planting it, watering it, collecting the slugs and
even mowing it – but it doesn’t grow. Eventually,
he gives up and the bean seed grows (“a long,
long, long time later”) into a beanstalk. As well as
covering aspects of science, it also links to maths
(sequencing, days of the week) and literacy (‘Jack
and the Beanstalk’). Ideal for cross-curricular plant
topics in EYFS and KS1.
Pig’s Egg Catherine Sully, illustrated by
Sam Chaffey; ISBN: 978-1-84750-877-5;
Alligator Publishing Ltd., 2015; pp 32; £1.99
(available from www.theworks.co.uk)
A brilliant book that
explains about
animal life cycles in a
novel and amusing
way. Pig is upset that
his friends goose,
duck and hen can fly
and that they don’t
have time to spend
with him, as their
eggs have all hatched (which introduces new
vocabulary, particularly ‘gosling’ as a baby goose).
However, one day he finds an egg-shaped object
on the floor of his sty. Despite his friends’
insistence that it’s actually a turnip, Pig looks after
his egg until his ‘baby’ crawls out of a hole. When
he tries to show his friends, he only finds a crinkly
green egg, but… “the next morning, something
VERY strange happened. As Pig lay sighing and
staring at the crinkly, green egg, it began to crack.
Out wiggled the most beautiful creature Pig had
even seen.” A lovely way of looking at the
offspring of different animals and the stages of a
butterfly’s life cycle!
Webwatch Henricus Peters Editor
This issue, we look at Year of Soils, Shackleton, some new resources and some sites you may not know
about. Compiled with special thanks to Alan Parkinson of the Geographical Association.
2015 is United Nations Year of Soils
www.fao.org/soils-2015/about/en/
Soils have a vital role, as they host a quarter of our
planet's species. As the website states: “The
multiple roles of soils often go unnoticed. Soils
don't have a voice, and few people speak out for
them. They are our silent ally in food production.”
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Environmental Education Volume 108 23
www.soilsforlife.org.au/international-year-of-
soils-2015 is an Australian website with some very
good, if advanced (KS3 and upwards) resources
and products. We will have good focus in a special
soils feature in the next journal.
Shackleton a century on
www.shackleton100.org
Focusing on the centenary of Sir Ernest
Shakleton’s Imperial Transport Expedition,
including an epic boat journey to reach South
Georgia, this website will help geographical
studies come to life.
www.shackleton2015live.com
100 years to the day after the Endurance was
crushed in the sea ice, a team of modern day
explorers will attempt to complete Shackleton's
journeys!
New resources
www.waterexplorer.org
The new water awareness and action-based
website from the folks at Global Action Plan. It’s
easy to use and free to register; since the very
recent launch, it’s already had hundreds of Water
Explorers Teams in schools in Bermuda, Ireland,
Italy, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland and our
own United Kingdom.
www.geocapabilities.org
Led by Professor David Lambert, former
Geographical Association Chief Executive, the
project’s key objective is to create teacher training
materials to develop teachers as curriculum
leaders … through a 'capabilities' approach'. The
project embraces diversity in culture
and language and in how geography is understood
and expressed in national school standards.
www.greaterlondonnationalpark.org.uk
Not so much a resource as a concept. Did you
know, for example: that with a uniquely
biodiverse landscape – with nature reserves, parks
and gardens – the Greater London National Park
(still only an idea!!) is recognised as one of the
world's most important urban habitats. Over
1,300 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
cover 19% of the National Park. London-wide, the
capital is home to more than 1,500 species of
flowering plants, 300 bird species, 300 languages
spoken, 170 museums, four UNESCO World
Heritage Sites…
www.seussville.com
When it comes to teaching kids morals, nobody
has ever done it with such subtlety and
imagination as Dr. Seuss. Ever since the 1950s, his
books have been teaching kids valuable lessons,
such as the importance of environmental
awareness in industrialized society - The Lorax;
why racism is stupid – The Sneetches; and the
psychological implications of holiday-motivated
materialism – How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
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Environmental Education Volume 108 24
Random House here provides Seuss’s teachings
and concepts via videos, games, and Seuss’s
classic books.
2015 celebrates the child in nature
This year marks the 10th anniversary printing of
‘ ast Child in the Woods’ by Richard ouv. On April
7-9, attendees at Children and Nature Network’s
2015 Children & Nature Conference in Austin,
Texas, helped set the agenda for the next decade
of the children and nature movement. Sarah
Milligan-Toffler, Children & Nature Network,
states: “It’s hard to overstate the importance of
‘Last Child in the Woods’ to the movement to
reconnect children to nature. Ten years ago, most
conservation groups were not talking about
connecting children and families to nature. Today,
it is a central piece of the conservation
conversation.” www.childrenandnature.org/
planetearth.nerc.ac.uk
Run by the Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC), the UK public body that supports the
natural and environmental sciences, this site tells
how environmental scientists really work and
explains their research – and its importance – in
plain English. Planet Earth is a free magazine
aimed at non-specialists and members of the
public with an interest in environmental science.
Wildlife Trackers
We recommend that you give the game a try at:
www.flyonthewall.uk.com/wildlifetrackers/
NAEE website
www.naee.org.uk Keep an eye out on our website
– as it’s going to have a complete facelift very
soon!
Social Media: Groups with good web resources
will send email updates or else you can ‘follow’
them – like NAEE – in twitter, ‘like’ them on
facebook, pinterest, LinkedIn.
Please send your favourite and most-visited
websites to Henricus Peters at editor@naee.org.uk
Write for Environmental Education: We welcome articles, book reviews and
website suggestions from NAEE members, supporters and readers. We are especially interested in case studies, including emvironmental education, outdoor classrooms, forest schools etc. – in primary or secondary schools and colleges. Articles may occasionally be reprinted either on their own or with other articles in NAEE publications. Photos should be as high resolution as possible and sent as separate jpeg files. You must have the permission of the picture taker. For more information, please contact editor@naee.org.uk.
Executive Committee: If you want to find out more about the roles of the NAEE
Executive Committee, and consider being nominated to this governing body, contact the
National Coordinator at info@naee.org.uk
Environmental Education Volume 108 25
Environmental Education Volume 108 26